The Moon's Best Friend
by lumos maximum
Summary: The night the twelve year olds called Peter, James and Sirius finds out what one of their best friends Remus is hiding from and how they handle it all. It’s the ultimate test of Marauders friendship. For Kitty Easts 25 challange.


**SwedishA/N:** No ownership. One-shot for Kitty Easts 25 challenge and for the Lumos Maximum top 10 challenge that Kitty East inspired me to start.

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_Dedicated to and inspired by the friendships I've lost, the strength I found and the pale moonlight that stands taunting on the dark October sky this night in the North._

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**The moons best friend**

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"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the __moon__, and the truth.__"  
- Buddha_

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The green grass outside the Marauders Gryffindor room shifted in a beautiful pale green that taunted the three friends that stood with their eyes looking for a hurt boy to leave the Whomping Willow. The emptiness of the grounds was disturbing to watch as the moon swallowed the colors and turned them into paleness. The three second year boys decided that taking turns to watch over the Whomping Willow that whipped viciously was the better thing to do when the moon was at its brightest and left Sirius at watch the first hour. The beauty of the moon was magnificent this particular night but if their thoughts of what the moon brought with it were true Sirius knew that he would hate the moon with every little house of Black disgust he had in him.

"Now" cried Peter hours later when the moons last visible traits slowly faded away from the dark night sky that started to turn bright on the October sky. Both James and Sirius leaped out of their beds to run towards the window to look at the green grass that filled the empty grounds. Nobody wanted to see anything there but they looked out, fearing what their eyes would see. The three friends waited in silence until they spotted the piece of themselves that they missed the whole night. James was right but this was one of the few times he wished he was all wrong and had to pay both Sirius and Peter 5 gallons each for entering a stupid bet. There, walking from a now calm Whomping Willow in the morning sun was one of their best friends Remus hurt and scared if not bloody from a night, _as a werewolf._

"I was- It is… I mean he is, isn't it?" was all James could say.  
Neither Sirius nor Peter could answer him, both wishing more than ever that they would have their five galleons in their hands not only for the stupid bets sake but for Remus sake.  
"I can't believe it" was all Peter could say with an odd poise in his voice that Sirius lost at the first sight of Remus through the window. The three friends with their eyes out of the window saw Remus fall down on the grounds when his weaken legs bent over and laid there with no one to pick him up. Sirius rushed to the door to run out and James instinctively reached to grab his broom from underneath his bed when the rare sound of reason came out from Peter.  
"We can't just _go._ He doesn't even know that we know" was all Peter said.  
"He is hurt you git! We would run for you, he needs us" bellow Sirius at Peter.  
"He is right Sirius" was all James managed to say even though he didn't believe his own words he forced them to be right and kept his eyes fixed at a petrified Peter and a devastated Sirius.  
"He is stronger than all of us but that doesn't make him less lonely" Sirius cracked voice spoke with no sense of control. James hugged him tightly knowing that Sirius was just hurt like all of them and that nobody knew how it was to be different like Sirius did. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room.  
"We have to do _something_." Sirius muffled voice said from James arms to Peter who was standing in a distance.  
"Like what – he is a _werewolf_" Peter said with a sad voice while walking back to the window petrified.  
"We'll figure it out" James said calmly and let go of Sirius to scratch his own hair wilder than it was while he fought to think of _something_.  
"We don't care if he is a werewolf right? We have to do _something_ still" Sirius repeated while forcing a lump in his throat to disappear, he wasn't the type that went and wept when things got bad.  
"He's not on the grounds anymore, he is coming back" Peter's broken voice said from the window. There was a moment of silence and exchange of looks before the three friends without knowing why ran towards their own beds safe covers cowardly to wait for the slow steps of Remus on the stairs.

Minutes later the door opened up and revealed a Remus looking better than when he fell down earlier on the grounds, that he had paid a visit to the Hospital wing was the only reasonable explanation. James, Sirius and Peter were not asleep by far but they were too confused about the news to react. It wasn't before Remus fell down another time in the middle of the room because his legs couldn't hold him up that the three boys sat up in their beds petrified.

"Remus!" cried Peter out and Sirius rushed out of bed accompanied by James behind him.  
"I'm fine" growled Remus from the floor but couldn't get up by his own. James grabbed his right arm and Sirius grabbed his left to try to pull him up from the floor but Remus legs wouldn't carry. Even Peter that joined them in the attempt to help Remus couldn't manage to help him up.  
"I prefer the floor, just go" Remus answered them and begged them to turn back to their beds. Sirius refused and dragged Remus from the floor into his arms to support him with the help of James and Peter. Remus thanked them despite his frustration with a whisper and then the four sat in silence on the floor without sharing any of their thoughts but James, Sirius and Peter was all thinking the same thing and somehow Remus knew they did.

"My mum says that we can always change our stars" Peter said in the never ending silence to break it.  
"Yeah, there is hope even if you are named after one" added Sirius smiling vaguely towards the Gryffindor lion above his bed and held Remus weak body closer in his arms to support him.  
These three fools don't understand that I didn't _choose _this Remus thought, it was the heartless moon and he was merely its best friend howling towards it for some despair.  
"I can't – "cried Remus furiously and tried to leave Sirius arms with force he didn't posses yet. Remus tried again but James pushed him down back into Sirius arms calmly with his both hands on Remus chest. Peters eyes were filled with compassion and fright as he stared towards his broken friend.  
"I can't change – "Remus sighted, furious with Sirius who held him tight in his arms, James who pushed him down another time to relax and even Peter who tried to calm Remus down with talk about changing the stars.

"Yes you can _always_ change your stars Remus" James interrupted Remus and looked towards Remus tear-striped face with sorrow in his twelve year old eyes.  
"But we understand that you can't change your moon" James ended.

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